Ways to save with your A/C

Over the weekend, I was working in my garden and appreciating the heat from the sun. I immediately noticed how many A/C units were buzzing around in my neighbourhood. It might have been a little warm, but not hot enough to turn on my A/C. I wonder if people have just become accustomed to A/C and no longer try to tolerate a little heat. Climate change has been an important topic in the media these days, and I wonder if people are thinking they can contribute to mitigating the effects of global warming by keeping their homes cool. Yikes!

This will be my first summer with A/C (EVER!), and I am looking forward to using it... but I am not planning to turn my house into a freezer. And, since I'm paying hydro, I was thinking it might be good to find some tricks on saving energy and keeping a cool home. I found a good article: http://michaelbluejay.com/electricity/cooling.html.

Check it out and let me know what you think. Mr. Electricity clarifies some of the myths we hear on A/C. According this his math, you will save a lot more energy if you turn off your A/C when no one is home. In addition, Central A/C is not a replacement for ceiling fans... they actually go hand in hand. Read the article and let me know if you've increased your thermostat ... even by one degree or if you bought an additional ceiling fan.

In my opinion, if you wear a t-shirt and shorts, leaving your house around 78F or 26C is cold enough. I also believe their should never be more than 20 degrees difference between your house and outside (well, maybe in the winter...).